Carolina court money struggles sound familiar

With financial pressures putting the squeeze on state budgets across the country, it’s no surprise Virginia is not the only state where money battles put judges and lawmakers at odds. The Charlotte Observer reports the North Carolina legislature is seeking budget relief with cuts in judicial programs, bringing howls of protest from judges.

One budget target is trial administrators, officials with functions similar to Virginia’s circuit court clerks. The legislature proposes dropping 14 such positions around the state to save about $1 million. One Charlotte-area judge tells the paper the loss of the administrators would return the courts to “the Dark Ages.”

Lawyers and judges also raised the alarm in Durham, reports The Herald-Sun. “Draconian cuts are being proposed,” one judge said.